This invention relates to signs and sign stand devices for displaying warnings or other pertinent information and more particularly, to an improved roadside sign of the foldable or roll-up variety. Temporary signs are particularly desirable for warning passing motorists of upcoming hazards such as are presented by construction work or emergency situations. Since such traffic hazards can occur anywhere, it is particularly desirable that these roadside signs be easily transported from one location to another and set up quickly. It is also desirable for such signs to be compact and lightweight such that a large number can be transported within a vehicle.
A number of signs according to the prior art include a plurality of upwardly extending brightly colored warning flags attached to warning flag rods which provide a high level warning for approaching motorists. These warning flag rods are attached to a holder which is affixed to a rigid sign or the vertical upright or cross member of a roll-up type sign or sign stand. Typically, these warning flag rods are removable from the associated holders and must be so removed before the sign can be collapsed for transportation from one location to another.
Examples of currently known roll-up sign designs are provided by the following copending U.S. patent applications, each of which are assigned to the same assignee as the present application: Ser. Nos. 442,418 and 442,419, both filed on Nov. 17, 1982; Ser. No. 274,400, filed June 17, 1981; and Ser. No. 497,815, filed May 25, 1983. These signs employ a flexible sign surface having one or both sides containing the desired written message or symbol. A pair of cross members are employed which are attached at their extreme ends to the roll-up sign to cause it to assume a planer shape. The cross members according to the above applications are selectively collapsible to permit the sign to either assume a display configuration or a rolled-up storage configuration. Some of these signs employ a bracket on a vertically extending cross member to which the warning flag rods are removably attached. With other signs, the holder and warning flags are attached to the top of the vertical upright on the stand assembly. Since these warning flag rods (and often the holder) become separated from the associated sign when transported, the chance for their becoming misplaced is present. Also, when the signs are moved from one location to another, the user is inconvenienced by having to separately transport a number of warning flags and holders along with the sign and then reassemble the individual parts, piece by piece. Moreover, in high winds, the flags are sometimes blown out of their holders creating a more hazardous situation and causing additional labor expense to maintain the signs.
In view of the above described shortcomings of prior art sign designs, it is a principal aspect of this invention to provide a roll-up type roadside sign which employs one or more upwardly extending warning flags which are pivotably attached to a sign cross member and which remain attached to the cross member when the sign is in the storage configuration. It is a further aspect of this invention to provide a means for attaching warning flags to a vertical cross member of a roll-up sign such that the warning flags are resistant to wind and other forces to which they are typically subjected. It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide a warning flag mounting bracket which may be permanently attached to a roll-up sign vertical cross member and which does not interfere with the compact storage of the sign.
The above principal aspects of this invention are provided by employing a roll-up sign having a pair of cross members which are typically oriented vertically and horizontally when the sign is in the assembled configuration. The warning flag rods are pivotably attached to the vertically disposed cross member such that they may be positioned collinearly with that cross member enabling the warning flags and their rods to be rolled up with the remaining components of the flexible sign when the sign is stored or transported. When the sign is assembled for use in the display configuration, these warning flags may be rotated to an upwardly projecting position and are held in place by a bracket assembly. The bracket assembly is also pivotably attached to the vertically disposed cross member and further may be rotated to an aligned position collinear with the vertical cross member, thereby permitting the bracket to be stored with the remainder of the sign.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates upon a reading of the described preferred embodiments of this invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.